MUMBAI: As the cavalcade of SUVs roar down the dusty roads of Ulhasnagar, people run onto the streets to get a glimpse of their three-time MLA, Pappu Kalani.

Only to run back indoors, when the RPI-(A) candidate stops by to say hello. “Kya hua? Aapkee mummy dar gayee?” he asked a fascinated child, who poked his head inside the car to get an autograph of Ulhasnagar’s favourite poster boy.

While the lady in question waved shyly from a distance, a large number of people gathered around the car to pay homage to their representative. Suresh ‘Pappu’ Kalani has been running a virtual fiefdom in Ulhasnagar for the past 15 years.

Accused in 17 different cases, including eight under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act or TADA, this candidate rarely lets his criminal record get in the way of his political aspirations.

Moreover, the criminal record has barely affected his popularity. Kalani has been claiming the Ulhasnagar seat, with a clean margin of 45,000 votes, over the last three terms. This possibly, is one reason why, ‘padhyatras’ and door-to-door meetings are a thing of the past for Kalani, who rarely steps out of his air-conditioned car.

“I have an advantage over the other candidates,” he says, while scrawling his autograph on a scrap of paper. “The people of this constituency know me, they know my work. I don’t need to go door-to-door asking for votes,” he says.

The ‘familiarity’ could also be attributed to the large scale campaigning in the area. As the entourage cuts across different sectors in Ulhasnagar, it is constantly accosted by larger-than-life images of Pappu Kalani smiling down from hoardings and banners which have been displayed at every nook and corner.

This effort seems to have cornered the competition, which has run out of spaces to solicit votes from.

So, is it the fear factor or familiarity quotient that makes people vote for him? Probably a bit of both. However, experts believe that his political connections are what hold this candidate in good stead.

It was in ’92-93 that Maharashtra’s then CM, Sudhakarrao Naik, made a public statement claiming that he had received a phone call from Sharad Pawar, asking him to go easy on Pappu Kalani.

While Kalani is being fielded as an RPI-(A) candidate, he also enjoys support from the NCP.

Pappu Kalani’s initiation into the big league was in ’89, when he won the state assembly elections on a Congress ticket. He was subsequently expelled in ’90, following his arrest in a series of criminal cases.